Sunday Kind of Love
by brittaden
Summary: Originally titled "Date Night." When Lorelai's date with Jason is a complete bust, a friend is there to turn her night around. That night has a few unintended consequences for one of the pair that turn Season 4 on its head. More details within.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls.**

 **So about two years ago, this story started as a notion that it would one day be developed into a story that explored the idea of Lorelai and Luke hooking up much earlier in Season 4. But, as it goes, this was buried in a pile of other things I was working on and random ideas I came up with and was never worked on beyond this chapter. I discovered it again recently and did a re-write for this. For now, it will remain a one-shot that takes place in "Ted Koppel's Big Night Out" but Lorelai's date with Jason doesn't go as it did on the show. Hope you enjoy!**

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Lorelai stared out the window watching as the scenery raced by, the headlights on the car illuminating the road in front of them. Silence filled the car, the low rumble of the engine being the only sound that played in her ears. Well that, and the growling of her stomach that she was sure would register on the Richter scale. She silently hoped that he wouldn't hear because that would just start the great taco debate all over again and she wasn't in the mood to explain why being the only person eating tacos in a car while on a date wasn't fun. It just wasn't fun and talking about it was even less fun. Not to mention pathetic.

Earlier, they had passed by a grocery store and for a split second, she entertained the idea of asking him to stop so she could find something, anything, to eat before she starved to death and was entombed in his car. But with her luck tonight, of him not being into Mexican food and him renting out a secluded room for dinner while the real party was right outside their door, she figured the grocery store would fall into the same category of a doomed date. So, she let the idea slide while her stomach groaned in protest.

"You should've gotten the tacos," the driver of the car piped up.

"Jason," Lorelai sighed, exasperated with the conversation that already happened twice since leaving the taco place. She was finished with the day as a whole. Everything had just been off. "Let's not do this again, I told you I didn't want the tacos."

"But you're hungry, you should of went with the tacos. You loved the tacos. You raved about the tacos," Jason replied.

He took his eyes off the road for a mere second to let his eyes roam over the gorgeously dressed woman in his passenger side seat. A woman that he had an inkling he wouldn't be seeing much more of, at least not in the way he wanted to.

"I'm not hungry," Lorelai replied though her stomach begged to differ. Her eyes glanced over to him in the driver's seat and she managed a small smile. "Just take me home."

Jason nodded carefully. "Home, got it."

The smile fell from her face as she turned back to the window and waited for the familiar 'Welcome to Stars Hollow' to pop up. The whole day had just been off and she was ready to get back to Stars Hollow and be in the comfort of her own home and bed. From waking up earlier than a person ever needed to on a Saturday for a football game that she didn't care about to fighting with her parents in which she was blamed for everything that wasn't her fault to the date that had so much promise only to fizzle out within the first few minutes. She could practically hear her bed calling her and telling her to just sleep this day away. That tomorrow would be better.

A genuine smile crossed her face when the familiar blue and white sign came into a view. As her mind processed that she was this close to being home, she had another idea. "Hang a left here," she instructed.

"Left?" Jason questioned. "I thought you lived the other way."

"I do, but for now I need to go this way."

Jason turned the corner per her instructions. "So tonight?"

"Hit-and-miss," Lorelai informed him. The yellow mug hanging out front greeted her like an old friend. "Drop me off here."

"Come on, I can't drop you off on the street looking like that."

"So, drop me off at the corner, the sidewalk and not the street."

"You know what I mean."

"I don't think I do, enlighten me."

"Dropping you off at a corner, late at night, people might think you're open for business."

Lorelai scoffed, "Here in Stars Hollow? Everyone is in bed by nine, that's when the 24-hour pharmacy closes. The biggest scandal we had lately is when Taylor insisted that all the coupons to his store had expired when people started using too many. They weren't even great coupons. I'm a big girl, just drop me off, I'll be fine."

Jason slowed the car down, "Here?" he asked. When Lorelai nodded, he stopped the car and peeked out the window. "I thought you weren't hungry."

"White lie," Lorelai dismissed, reaching for and then undoing her seat belt. She sighed, trying to find a way to explain tonight. "Listen Jason, I'm sure you're a great guy and all but..."

"Evident by the number of bouquets and boxes of candy that I picked out especially for you," Jason chimed in.

Lorelai gave him a weak smile. "I loved the flowers and the candy, more the candy than the flowers because flowers look pretty and then just die, at least you can eat candy but it's just this me and you thing...I don't think this is going to work."

"Was it the restaurant? It was the restaurant, wasn't?" Jason inquired. "Because I can find us an even busier and fancier restaurant where we will have a table right in the middle of all the action. I'll find the best restaurant in Connecticut."

"You're very persistent."

"So, is that a yes? Is that a promise that I'll get to see you in that dress again, soon maybe?"'

Lorelai shook her head, "No, I'm sorry. It's still a no. You're handsome and I wish I found a tiny bit repulsive, but this," she gestured between them with her finger, "It's not going to work out. You seem like a great guy."

Jason removed his hands from the steering wheel and held them up as if to surrender. "I get it, I've heard the great guy speech before." He huffed, frustrated. "So, no chance at all for a repeat of that dress that you look so amazing in?"

"Slim to none."

He grasped at his last straw. "Your mother would hate it if you gave me a chance."

"Trust me, that I know," Lorelai replied. She blew out a breath. "That makes the idea of a date even more appealing but this isn't right. I was having a bad day, I thought some revenge dating would do the trick, and you were already there with the reservations, it all seemed to click. But this is a bad idea. We can't date."

"Not even when you're having a great day?" Jason asked. "Not even a cup of coffee?"

"I think it would be best if we stayed away from any type of date-ish activities."

Jason slumped down in his seat. "My pride is really taking a hit tonight."

"But you understand my reasoning, right?"

"I know what you've told me, I'm not sure I can say that I understand any of your reasons but I will respect your reasoning," Jason replied. He gave her a smile, as weak at is may have been. "Goodbye Lorelai Gilmore."

"Bye Digger."

In a flash, mainly because she was afraid she might waste away if she didn't get food in her body soon, Lorelai was out the door and standing on the sidewalk in front of the diner. She made a note that some lights were still on inside and the sign had not yet been flipped to closed even if the diner did look deserted before she watched Jason give her a small wave before he drove off. Feeling a little sad and just a tad bit guilty, she turned on her heel and marched up to the diner. She tried the handle and found the door unlocked, giving her the opportunity to walk right in. Her arrival was signaled by the tinkling of the bells overhead.

"We're closed."

"Closed, right. But see the sign on the door said open and at this moment, I'm choosing to believe in signs. With the day I had if you turned me away now, I might fling myself off a roof," Lorelai shouted back, unsure of his location. "The diner roof!"

A bright and genuine smile crossed her face when she spied a half-full coffee pot behind the counter. Rounding the corner of the counter, she grabbed her preferred mug and quickly filled it with the delicious beverage. "Just so you know, I'm not leaving until I have food in my belly."

Lorelai made her way back to the side of the counter that she was allowed on and slid onto a stool, her purse found a resting spot on the counter next to her mug. She lifted the mug to her lips and inhaled deeply before taking a long sip, the warmth of the beverage already providing an upside to this otherwise terrible day. She drummed her fingers on the counter-top and waited for Luke to make his reappearance. As soon as he exited the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel, she blurted out her order.

"The biggest cheeseburger you can offer me with a big, big plate of fries. Chili cheese fries if you can swing that! Please, please, please, don't tell me you turned the grill off."

"I was about to turn it off when you threatened to fling yourself off the roof," Luke informed her. "You want double cheese on that burger?"

Lorelai beamed. "That sounds heavenly!"

"Noted. I'm out of chili, so you'll have to settle for fries, no chili or cheese," he replied, eyeing the coffee cup in her hand. "You fixed your own coffee?"

"What? Me? Never," Lorelai answered, going from confused to appalled that he would ever even think such a thing. "This was here, another sign that I should definitely should have dropped by."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You said you're not leaving without that burger and fries."

Lorelai nodded eagerly. "If I don't get food in me soon, I'll perish. Then you'll have to explain to Taylor why my lifeless body is in a heap in the middle of your diner. I'm sure that would break many health code violations. Not to mention, my ghost will haunt the place."

"Coming right up."

As soon as Luke disappeared back into the kitchen, Lorelai made a move for the pie plate at the end of the counter. Instead of giving Luke even more to cleanup, she reached for a napkin and dumped a piece of apple pie onto there. With pie in hand, she made a grab for her coffee cup and walked towards the kitchen. She leaned in the doorway just enough to see Luke preparing her food, making sure that he was indeed putting double cheese on her burger. The coffee cup was set down on a counter right inside the kitchen as she began to eat the pie.

Luke looked over his shoulder, it was then he noticed how Lorelai was dressed. He couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over her body in the black dress that looked like it was made to fit just her. It hit just above the knee, exposing a delicious amount of leg that was accentuated by the heels she wore. The neckline dipped low, exposing a vase expanse of skin dotted with freckles that he had caught glimpses of in the past with her other plunging necklines. She seemed unaware that his eyes were on her, she was more focused on the pie she pilfered, and he felt like an ass for so blatantly checking her out. She was just his friend and he was a married -yet actually dating his wife- man. It took him a moment to realize that he missed whatever she said to him.

"What?" Luke asked. He turned back to preparing her food, careful not to burn anything though his concentration was skewed by mental images of her in that dress. "You're not supposed to be in the kitchen, you could get hurt. My insurance doesn't cover you."

"I'm not in the kitchen, just the doorway. Don't think I'll get harmed here," Lorelai replied, she finished off the last of the pie, crumbling up the napkin and trading it for her coffee cup. She quickly finished off the rest and set it back down. "You didn't answer my question."

"What was the question?"

"That help you hired, Brennon, are you serious about him? Were you that desperate for help that you hired the first person that walked through the door?" Lorelai questioned. "Oh no wait excuse me, did you hire the first person you found wandering the street because I'm not too sure that he could even find the door."

"I fired him this afternoon. Everyone was at Weston's avoiding the diner like they would catch the plague. I left the diner in his hands and when I came back he was dancing and singing on the table so I fired him."

"Don't forget about the butt napkins."

"That too."

"I'm sure you'll find some help soon, capable help. Someone that can actually take an order and not just walk away when it gets too complicated. I can pass along that you're looking for help if you want me to," Lorelai offered.

"You don't have to do that."

"Well I know that I don't have to but I want to," Lorelai replied. She gave a shrug of her shoulders, "I mean it's not a big deal, you need my help. I may know people. All simple really."

Luke turned around just long enough to give her a hint of a smile, more than she ever really saw for him. "That would be great, thanks. You can go back out there; your food is almost ready."

Wordlessly, Lorelai grabbed her now empty coffee cup and headed back into the diner. She reached her stool and once again took a seat while she waited for Luke. Smiling, she remembered the fun flask tucked away in her purse and quickly retrieved it, popping off the lid and taking a sip just as Luke walked out of the kitchen with not one, not two, but three plates.

Lorelai carefully set the flask down beside her. "Is all that mine? Because I know I only asked for one burger and some fries but with how hungry I am, I could definitely eat all of that right now."

"You wanted, and I repeat, a big, big plate of fries," Luke said as he set the plates down on the counter revealing that one held nothing but a burger with double cheese while one was piled high with fries. "I didn't think they would both fit on the same plate."

"Oh, you thought well my friend," Lorelai complimented, swiping a few fries off the plate and shoving them in her mouth as soon as it appeared in front of her. "So good," she moaned in appreciation.

Luke cleared his throat, pretending not to hear the sound that she just made that sounded more like a sound reserved for the bedroom. The third plate, his plate, joined her two on the countertop and he shook his head at the grimace that appeared on her face at the sight on the salad he had prepared for himself.

"Don't make a face," Luke said before she could say anything. "This is my plate. With the dinner rush, I didn't get a chance to eat."

She shoved another fry in her mouth. "I'm just surprised there's a burger on that plate too."

"With a salad, it's all about balance."

"Mhm," Lorelai hummed through a mouthful of cheeseburger. She swallowed before replying. "I know about balance. Mine is the lettuce and tomato you put on the burger."

He pulled up on a stool on the opposite side of the counter of her and dug into his own food, trying desperately to ignore the little sounds of appreciation she made while enjoying her own dinner.

She picked up a fry from her plate and offered it to him as he sat across from her. "Want a fry?"

He stabbed at a grape tomato in his salad. "Want a tomato?"

Surprising him, she leaned across the counter and slid the tomato off the fork with her mouth. Then, as she chewed, she offered the fry back up. "Your turn."

He chuckled and took the offered fry, popping it into his mouth at her amusement.

Now that her plate of fries was half-gone and the cheeseburger was missing a few bites, she reached for her purse and retrieved the fun flask. She lifted it to her lips and took a long sip. The cheeseburger and fries were doing their job and soothing the wounds of her terrible day.

"You carry a flask now?"

"Hmm?" Lorelai mused, she brought the flask down from her lips and left the cap off since it was easier. "Oh this. This is the fun flask. I swiped it from my parents at the game earlier. Want some?"

He shook his head. "How was the game?" He backtracked when the look Lorelai gave him warned him about daring to even tread there. "Forget I asked."

"Good man." Lorelai focused back on her now half-eaten cheeseburger and dwindling plate of fries. She chewed thoughtfully before adding on, "I didn't even make it to the game. I tailgated, fought with my parents, and then bolted out of there."

Luke nodded, "Right." He took in her appearance again, she definitely did not just bolt from a game. He ducked his head, pretending that he was interested in his own burger but really he couldn't make eye contact with her now. "So...uh...you look...um...you didn't go the game dressed that like, did you?"

And he cursed himself for sounding like an idiot, but at least he was still focused on his burger and couldn't see the inane look Lorelai was sure to be giving him.

"No, but I did wear the wrong colors." She pushed around the fries on her plate, not in the same rush to eat them as she was before. "If you must know why I'm in a little black dress and look extra fabulous tonight, I...um...I had a date."

She never talked to Luke about dating. Well they never really talked to each other about dating. And when they did, there was always some kind of tension. She couldn't put her finger on it but when it came to Luke, to bring up when she had a date or had started dating was just strange. Dating wasn't something they talked about. That's the reason her voice faltered and she found it hard to actually get out the words. Especially the next words that ended up really being more of a ramble than a coherent sentence.

"It didn't go well, not that you're interested in knowing how my date went or anything because it's fine if you're not interested...you don't have to know all the details. I mean, you know, sometimes you go on a date and it just doesn't work out. No big deal."

Lorelai shut herself up by picking up her cheeseburger and taking a bigger than normal bite. She didn't dare look up at Luke to see if he had stopped focusing on his own food to look at her. She knew that if he was, he was probably wearing that stupid little smirk he wore whenever she embarrassed herself in the diner. She could know add humiliation to her list of the peculiarities of the day that made it one of the worst in a while.

"What happened?" Luke found himself asking even though he had no intention of learning the details of her date. He told himself that he wasn't jealous, he had a wife after all. He was just indulging her because she liked to talk, especially about herself.

Lorelai blew out a breath. "He took me to this restaurant and we had a private secluded room away from all the action. Two people eating all alone in a restaurant, it was just weird and uncomfortable. Too quiet. So, we left and I found out that he didn't like Mexican food and here I am."

"Yeah, that's always a deal-breaker."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It wouldn't have worked out anyways, he is my dad's business partner. I kind of only accepted his invitation as revenge on my parents, mainly my mother, over what happened today."

"Want to talk about that?"

"Not really," Lorelai answered. "Just the usual. Something happens and whether it is or isn't my fault isn't up for discussion because it's always my fault. I might skip a Friday night dinner or two but then things will be back to normal. Or as normal as we get."

Luke nodded his head. "You done?" He asked with a gesture to her plate.

Lorelai looked down at the burger that was really just remnants now of what it was before. She still had some fries left but her taste buds wanted something else. She eyed the pie plate. "Can I have the rest of the pie to-go?"

"I was just going to throw it out anyways. Give me a minute."

Before he grabbed their combined three plates to carry them to the kitchen, he boxed up the rest of the pie in a to-go box and laid in down in front of her. While he was in the kitchen, Lorelai dug through her purse for payment. She was cutting back on her eating out as her expenses were being drawn into the Dragonfly but she could still swing some diner visits, it would just mean that her other eating out would have to be cut back. Just as she was about to lay a few bills down on the counter, Luke came out of the kitchen.

"It's on the house," Luke waved her off, gesturing for her to put the money back into her purse. "Sounds like you had a rough day, don't worry about it. We're closed anyways."

Lorelai smiled at him for a few seconds before speaking. "You're a terrific fellow Luke Danes."

"You probably say that to all the men that feed you."

"Oh, but I only mean it with you," Lorelai quipped. She pulled her purse off of the counter and slid it up to her shoulder while making a grab for her to-go box. "Thanks Luke. See you tomorrow."

"Wait," Luke called after her when she turned to walk away. "I'll take you home."

Lorelai shook her head. "You don't have to do that. I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, I can walk home by myself."

"It's late and it's dark. I'll take you home, it's no big deal."

"Trying to protect me from the mean streets of Stars Hollow?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

"You never know when Kirk will have one of his night terrors." When Lorelai didn't take the chance to argue, he figured that she agreed with him. "Should we walk or do you want me to get my truck?

She remembered the nip in the air as she waited for Jason to drive away before she could seek comfort in her safe haven of a diner. "Truck, it's a little cool out."

"Give me a minute." With that Luke disappeared upstairs only to reappear mere seconds later with his keys in hand. "Let's go."

Outside, he led Lorelai around to the alleyway behind the diner where his truck was parked. He surprised her when he opened the passenger side door for her before making his way around to the driver's side and sliding in. She watched him carefully as he started to drive away and begin the very short trek to her house. While she did so, she tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut telling her that this wasn't a date. Of course, it wasn't a date. He was just providing her with what she asked for. _Dirty,_ she thought. But, no, this was Luke and it was ridiculous to think this could be a date. He had a wife after all. Then again, why did she feel like adding disappointment to her list of peculiarities of the ways this day could have went wrong.

Before she knew it, Luke was pulling up in front of her house and asking her if she was okay since she didn't utter a single word for the entire drive. The longest time he had ever heard her go without talking. She just gave a shake of her head, as if that would clear out the crazy thoughts running through her mind.

"I bothered you enough tonight, thought you might appreciate the quiet," Lorelai replied. She gathered her things, including the leftover pie from the diner. "Thanks again."

Just like her first exit from a car tonight, it was swift and over in a flash where she found herself standing on one of the steps of her porch facing Luke's truck. She stood there until he backed away, giving him a smile and a wave when he gave her the latter. Turning towards her house, she left out a breath she didn't know she was holding and convinced herself that the gnawing feeling in her gut she still felt was just a craving for pie. And that the crazy thoughts that still ran through her head were that of a sleep-deprived woman who had experienced the worst of days in a while so her brain was compensating with overly weird thoughts.

Now she just needed her bed.

And pie.

And the rest of the fun flask.

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 **As always, reviews are appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiiiiiii!**

 **I decided to continue this story. I'm going to leave another note at the bottom explaining it a little more, please check it out.**

 **I know it's been a while since I posted this first chapter of this story so if you have read the first chapter, you may want to go back and re-read it before jumping into this chapter.**

 **Thanks for sticking around. Or, if you're new to this story, thanks for joining me!**

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Through an unbalanced combination of leftover pie, residual liquor from the fun flask, and a nice, long soak in the bathtub before bed, Lorelai was able to forgot all the weird and just plain * _off*_ occurrences that happened over the weekend. Paired with taking a lazy Sunday for herself, a.k.a traveling out of town to gain inspiration for her own inn, by the time Monday rolled around the mere idea that her impromptu dinner with Luke was anything more than two friends enjoying a quick meal was absurd. He was married. Very – legally – married. And a loyal guy. Definitely not a date. Just two friends, one moaning about a bad date, the other listening and being a sounding board, a bit of advice here and there, but ultimately friends.

Nothing more.

But no amount of leftover pie completely curbed the gnawing feeling that maybe if he wasn't married that their impromptu dinner could * _possibly*_ be seen in a different light. Possibly. That feeling, however, was pushed deep, deep, down alongside the memory of her 14th birthday party and the green roller-disco outfit she wishes she could take back. They were both insane ideas. One fueled by a dangerous level of false wisdom and stubbornness that only resides in the teenage mind and the other by a day filled with a series of unfortunate events that had a not so unfortunate ending.

Lorelai steadied herself and made sure that the feeling was forced even deeper down before she pushed the diner door open, causing the bell to ring out and announce that she was patronizing the diner as a loyal customer. Only a loyal customer. A quick scan revealed that Luke was most likely in the kitchen at the moment, so she settled herself up on her usual stool and waved to Cesar who swiftly headed for the coffee pot.

"Thank you," she said as a coffee cup was filled right in front of her.

"No problem," Cesar replied. "Luke's just in the kitchen. He's giving me a break from the grill, bad elbow, ya know."

Lorelai nodded in understanding as Cesar mimed about his bad elbow. "He's a good guy, that Luke."

"Yeah," Cesar agreed, wiping down the counter in front of her. "Do you want me to get him for you?"

Her hand flew to her chest as she choked on the sip of coffee she just took. "What? No? I don't want Luke. Why would I want Luke?"

Cesar leaned over the counter, concerned. "You okay Lorelai? Your face is turning red."

"Not feeling that great," Lorelai quickly lied, though she knew it made no sense. "Can I get a menu, please?"

"Um, sure."

Cesar pulled a menu out from underneath the counter and slid it towards Lorelai. She quickly snatched it up and opened it, burying her face in it, not caring about the contents. She knew that menu backwards and forwards, even with the new changes made to them somewhat recently courtesy of Nicole.

Lorelai read over the menu anyways, her mind already made up on what she wanted to order just as soon as she could talk to Cesar again without weirding herself out. Having Luke in the kitchen was a plus because his pancakes were far superior to Cesar's. She was pondering all things pancake – blueberry, chocolate chip, pumpkin with cinnamon butter – when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Lorelai, dear, why don't you join us? We haven't ordered yet."

Lorelai looked up at the dance teacher then across the diner where Babette smiled and waved frantically and motioned to an open chair at their table. She waved back to Babette then accepted Miss Patty's offer for breakfast with a little friendly company. Some good conversation full of juicy town gossip would be the perfect thing to start off this week and get her mind of everything that she didn't want on her mind. Easy decision.

With coffee in hand, she took her place at the table conveniently across from both ladies. Her menu was pushed to the side as Miss Patty and Babette delved into the latest gossip involving Andrew and the mysterious new lady that kept hanging around the bookstore with him. In between bits of gossip and appropriate reactions and quips by Lorelai, the three ladies gave their orders to Cesar, before all attention was focused on Lorelai.

"What about you, dear?" Miss Patty asked. "What's going on with you? How's the inn coming along?"

"It's coming along great," Lorelai answered. "Of course, we still have a long way to go. There's lots and lots to do, basically an empty shell of a former inn at this point, but we're really excited about everything."

"We can't wait to see it!" Babette exclaimed. "Morey and I might even rent a room, you know a little in-town vacation. It's a wonder what a change of location can do for your lovemaking."

Lorelai nodded, agreeing but not wanting to know any more details about the lovemaking that occurred between her neighbors. "I'll try to set aside a room for you."

"Thanks doll!"

Miss Patty smiled. "Speaking of lovemaking," she turned her attention to Lorelai. "I hear you had a gentleman caller on Saturday night."

"How did you hear that?" Lorelai asked. Stars Hollow sure had a way of spreading gossip. "That wasn't even a date. We were supposed to go on one but it didn't work out, so he dropped me off in town."

"Kirk didn't mention that," Babette said as she looked to Patty then Lorelai. "He saw you and Luke in the diner, canoodling."

"What?" Lorelai raised her voice then immediately hushed herself. "No, that's not he saw, because that didn't happen."

"He seemed pretty sure. It's okay, honey, we can talk about it. We won't tell anyone."

Lorelai knew that was a load of bull. One of the very things they were both known for was their uncanny ability to somehow know and spread all of the town's gossip at lightning speed. And this, the non-date, wasn't something she could trust in their hands. Not without trying to tell them what actually happened.

"We weren't canoodling," Lorelai practically shivered at the word, inappropriate images tried to force themselves in her mind, "Kirk obviously embellished his story. That's not what happened."

Miss Patty had a knowing look on her face. "I'm sure it didn't happen, dear."

The wink she gave her after the fact had Lorelai tripping over her explanation. "I'm serious. I had a date. An actual date but it didn't pan out. But I was starving. And since Al is having his mystery bag meals again, I came to the diner. I just wanted food and Luke hadn't had anything to eat because he was working. We happened to have dinner together. As friends. Nothing else. And there was definitely no canoodling."

"We hear you," Babette assured her. But the look she shared with Patty contradicted all of that.

"I'm serious," Lorelai's tone was more serious now. "Nothing happened. Besides he's married. Remember Nicole?"

"We all know that's not going to last," Miss Patty said. "She's not his type. He has another type."

Babette agreed. "A Lorelai-type."

Lorelai shook her head, "That's crazy."

"Not crazy, dear. We've all seen the way he looks at you." Miss Patty sipped at her coffee and then nonchalantly added on, "I'm not suggesting you go after a married man but sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. That's how I landed my second husband."

"Nothing happened and nothing is going to happen," Lorelai replied firmly. "Now, can we please not talk about this because there's really nothing to talk about. I don't want this getting around."

Miss Patty smiled sympathetically. "Sure Lorelai. Our lips are sealed."

"But we already..."

Whatever Babette was going to say was interrupted by Miss Patty shushing her then jumping in again and emphasizing every word.

"Our lips are sealed."

As much as she didn't believe that, Lorelai thanked the two older ladies. This was something that definitely didn't need to get around town. She was already well aware that Nicole didn't like her and she didn't need this adding fuel to the fire. Not that she entirely cared if Nicole cared for her but she was her friend's wife and it made things easier if Nicole did like her. Or at least didn't hate her. And vague rumors of canoodling between her and certain diner owner was definitely on the hate scale.

"Thank you, ladies. Really, I mean it."

Babette smiled, "Anything for you, Lorelai."

Even though she hadn't received her breakfast yet, Lorelai excused herself from the table with tales of having a to-do list longer than the entire population of this town and a limited time to get everything done. Not a lie in its entirety, mostly the truth, but serving exclusively as an excuse to leave. As she moved away from the table, she nearly collided with Luke who had arms full of breakfast orders.

"Is it too late to ask for mine to go?" She asked upon seeing her order of pumpkin pancakes with a side of bacon. Heavy on the bacon.

Luke jerked his head back to the register behind him. "Give me a minute. Let me drop these off."

She smiled and made her way to the register, shouting a thank you over her shoulder before reaching into her purse for her wallet. By the time Luke had dropped off the plates to the gossipy ladies and returned from the kitchen where he had boxed up her breakfast order, she already had money in hand and a to-go cup of coffee that Cesar had offered.

"You feeling okay?" Luke asked, taking her money and putting in the register.

Lorelai nodded, "I'm fine. Survived a grilling session with _Hello_ magazine's two most thorough interviewers, but I'm good."

"Cesar just mentioned that you weren't feeling well," Luke replied. "He said that I should check on you."

"Well thanks for checking," Lorelai said as she reached for her change. "But I'm fine, really. The coffee helped. It always does."

"Good." Luke placed her boxed-up breakfast in a bag and handed it off to her. "Anytime."

"Ooh, counting on that," Lorelai quipped before thanking him again for the breakfast and turning around to leave the diner.

On her way out, Nicole was on her way in. Lorelai quickly mumbled a 'hello' and 'nice to see you' to her before looking over her shoulder at Miss Patty and Babette in the corner and pretending to zip her lips as a reminder of their promise from moments earlier. Because she couldn't help herself, when Lorelai got outside the diner, she looked back through the window just in time to see Luke and Nicole breaking apart from an over-the-counter kiss. She watched a second longer to see him smiling at her and taking her order before she ducked her head and speedily made her way down the sidewalk and as far as her legs could carry her from the diner.

* * *

Later that night, Lorelai entered her house and dropped the bags of magazines and plans and to-do lists at her feet before she made her way into the living room where she plopped down on the couch. She kicked off her shoes and laid back on the couch, using one hand to rub at her temples. It had been a long and tiring day. Apparently, the rumors of canoodling had already spread and when she met with Sookie and Michel earlier in the day, she was greeted with loads of questions from her best friend and the desire to quell these rumors from the former. She, for the first time in her life, agreed with Michel and did her best to get Sookie to focus on something else.

Eventually it worked by bribing Sookie with fancy kitchen appliances but all the loaded and misleading rumors and questions had already given her a headache. It had only built throughout the day with all the talk of everything that needed to be done and exactly how much money it was going to cost, that all she wanted to do right now was rest.

That luxury was exactly one she couldn't afford herself because in the entryway all her plans waited for her to review and make decisions and write checks and flip through magazines for inspirations for rooms and so much more that she couldn't list at the moment. But when her cellphone rang from her jacket pocket, she pushed that all to the side and opted for a conversation with her daughter.

"Hey kiddo," Lorelai greeted as soon as she put the phone to her ear. "If you hear any rumors from anyone in Stars Hollow that mention me and Luke, please disregard them. Nothing happened."

"Um okay," Rory replied, the confusion evident in her voice. "I haven't heard anything, should I have?"

"No, not at all. Patty and Babette are just having a field day with a miniscule and false piece of information," Lorelai answered. "You know how they are. The tiniest bit of gossip turns into a movie of the week in their hands."

"Like when Babette thought we had been kidnapped because we came home a few days later than planned."

"Hey, that's all on you," Lorelai playfully accused her daughter. "You're the one who deemed it necessary to give every single person in our town an itinerary of our trip."

"It wasn't every single person," Rory defended herself. "Just a few that needed to know where we were. I was thinking ahead in case anything happened."

"And you left calling all the consulates to me," Lorelai replied. "But I'm over that."

"Are you?"

"I'll make you pay when I'm older and solely in your care. I'm going to be very needy."

"Going to be?"

"Watch it, Yale isn't that long of a drive," Lorelai warned. "Enough about that though, I haven't heard from you since the game. What's up?"

"I called you Saturday night and yesterday," Rory said over the phone. "If anyone needs to be doing any explaining, it should be you."

"My phone died and was in my purse Saturday night, didn't see your call until the next day. And then I left my phone at home on Sunday while I was out," Lorelai explained. "And now you, because I called you back yesterday and only got your voicemail."

"I was out too," Rory said swiftly before changing the subject. "How'd your date go?"

Lorelai groaned. "You won't have to call him Dad ever." She closed her eyes and rubbed at her temples again, trying to remember if she had any aspirin in the house. "It didn't go well. I don't think it would've worked out anyway, just saved myself the time."

"That sucks. You haven't had a date in a while."

"Geez, thanks for reminding me."

Rory apologized. "I didn't mean it like that. Just saying it's been a little while since you went out."

"And how is that not meaning it how you meant it or how I was supposed to take it?" Lorelai asked, confusing herself along the way.

Rory was confused as well. "What?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll add that to the list of ways I'll get you back when I'm old," Lorelai replied. "In the meantime, don't worry about your mom turning into an old spinster who lives with fifty cats."

"That's not going to be you," Rory assured her. "You don't like cats that much."

Lorelai laughed. "Thanks for the reassurance, sweets."

"That's what I'm here for."

Lorelai smiled into the phone. "And what about you? What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"I don't know, you tell me," Lorelai answered. "Earlier you seemed to change the subject a little fast on how you 'were out too'. So, where were you? Out with Paris?"

"Not exactly."

"Okay, so one of your other roommates? Or a new friend?"

Rory paused for a moment. "Uh, nope."

"Come on kid," Lorelai encouraged. "Am I going to have to play twenty questions here before I get an answer? Are you trying to keep something from me?"

"I'm not keeping anything from you, I was going to tell you but we haven't talked in the past couple of days."

"We're talking now."

"Yes, we are," Rory agreed. She paused again. "I went out on a date."

"You did? Why are you being so weird about that then? Dating is a normal thing for a college kid. It's great that you're dating," Lorelai said happily. "What's his name? How was the date? Is he cute?"

"Yes, he's cute. The date was great we have another one planned for this week actually," Rory answered two of the three questions. "And you actually know him."

"I know him?" Lorelai questioned. "Have I met any cute guys at Yale?"

"Yes," Rory answered quickly. "It's Marty."

"Naked Guy?!" Lorelai exclaimed, sitting up quickly on the couch. "You went on a date with Naked Guy?"

"Can we not call him that? He has a name."

"Nuh-uh, he's Naked Guy right now. He has to earn the right to a name."

"He has the earn the right to his own name?"

"For me? Yes. But don't try to change the subject." Lorelai got up from the couch and crossed the living room and headed into the kitchen. "So, you went out on a date with Naked Guy. How did that happen?"

"Well Grandma and Grandpa went completely silent after you left so I was going to read my book the entire time," Rory started to explain.

"Sorry I bailed," Lorelai interrupted, rifling through cabinets and looking for aspirin.

"I'll add that to my list of ways to get you back when you're older," Rory promised. "But really it was fine because Grandma ended up offering Marty your ticket even though he insisted he didn't really like football that much but she insisted."

"And no one can say no to Emily Gilmore," Lorelai added in.

"Exactly," Rory agreed with her mother. "So, he joined us for the game. Grandma and Grandpa still didn't talk during the game but Marty and I talked. We made fun of the game some because we really didn't understand it. He tried to talk to Grandma some because he felt completely awkward the whole time."

She grabbed the bottle of aspirin from a cabinet and placed it down on the counter. "Which was Emily's intention I'm sure when she decided to invite him."

"Maybe. But we talked a lot and he got all my jokes. He brought me food from other people tailgating and then he asked me to hang out after the game," Rory provided more details. "So, we hung out after the game. And then on Sunday he asked me out again. We went to one of those really cheap movie theaters and watched a couple of movies. Then he asked me out on a date and I said yes."

"Aw, sweets, sounds like you really like him."

"I think I do."

She smiled, again. "And you if really like him that much, I can, maybe, stop calling him Naked Guy."

"At least don't call him that to his face."

"I think I can stick to that promise."

"But when you're talking to me..." Rory said because she knew what was coming.

"I can call him whatever I want, including Naked Guy."

"You can try Marty, you know his actual name."

"I'll try, but no promises."

"That's all I ask, Mom," Rory replied. "I have some homework and reading to catch up on, talk tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

Lorelai clicked the phone off and traded it for the aspirin bottle sitting on the counter. Shaking two pills from the bottle, she also fixed herself a glass of water before downing it with the medicine. With the promise of ridding her headache in the very near future, she made her way back to the entryway and back to all the work she had left there earlier.

Like Rory said she hadn't had a date in a while so there was literally nothing else stopping her from diving right into the pile of work that was now in her hands. At least it would keep her busy and a busy mind would, hopefully, keep itself off of her current lack of dating options and the idea that everyone had been spreading around that her and Luke were canoodling after hours in the diner. She had spent most of the day trying to disparage the rumors before they got into the wrong hands. Her main method of disparaging being taking bits of information and transforming them into harmless rumors that involved no one specific. Hopefully it wouldn't backfire.

With a heavy sigh, Lorelai walked back into the kitchen and transformed the once clean kitchen table into a mini office of sorts piled with binders, magazines, and loose scraps of paper. Moving away from the table for just a moment, Lorelai set a pot of coffee to brew and pulled some leftover chinese food from the fridge before sitting back down and diving headfirst into her planning of her very own inn. A dream that was soon-to-be a reality that was a welcome distraction from the day and the feeling that still gnawed deep within her.

* * *

 **Through continuing this story, I'm going to link it with another one-shot of mine. Through a comment I once received in a review and the desire of wanting to continue this story and the other story blossomed this little tale. The one-shot I'm going to connect it with is "Clamor and Clangor". If you read it then you know the direction this story will take. I know it will feature a theme that some don't like in stories but I'm going to try and handle it with care. If you haven't read it, it is M-Rated so this story will probably eventually take that turn, I might take the mature bits and put them in their own little story separate from this, not sure yet. So if you want, keep it as a surprise where this story will go, or go spoil it for yourself. This is the first story I'm tackling where I have literal spoilers on my own page.**

 **As always, reviews are appreciated!**

 **:)**


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